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THE LAST TWENTY-ONE DAYS
*^i
OF TILB
T DANIEL MAffl
• t
•i, /"-'.
SENTENCED^ to DEATFI
On t/n' lOth of ytyvemher, 1S70,
Exeeuted on the 14th of Dec. follow in ff
Being a simple Narrative of die Aulbr's inlerviews witk liio.
KINGSTON :
PRINTED BY WlLLlAVf MGlITFOOT, WKLLINOTON !4TliEET.
IHTl.
5^(J*K
Pi*lcfi f^lfttMiit Cents*
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■.c^?*!T. i.;,v<, * ■
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THE LAST TWENTY -ONE DAYS
OF THE
COPICT DAMEL MAM
SENTENCED TO DEATH
Ofi the 10th ofNovember^ 1870,
Maeeettted oti the 14th ofJ>ec. following.
k
Being a simple Narratire of the Author's int^views with him.
KINGSTON :
PRIKTED BY WILLIAM LIQHTFOOT, WELLINGTON BTBEBT.
1871.
) S 1 /
CraJ
^ 51 3 ;i 0
i
THE LAST TWENTYONE DAYS
OF
D.iNIEL MANN
I CALLED on him for the first time on Friday the ISth
of November. He appeared very cheerful, but his
ways soon convinced rae he was doing all in his power to
excite himself into happy feelings to drown the thought
of his impending execution.
Upon testing him a little as to the ground of the hope
he expressed concerning the life to come, I soon found it
to be his thorough repentance, his comparative freedom
from evil desires, his great love to God, &c. He thought
surely he had made his peace with God since he had so
many good things to show.
His lips talked about Jesus and His love very nicely.
He repeated some of God's precious promises, but evident-
ly his heart was so intensely occupied with self, that he
could grasp no meaning in those promises.
His earnest face, however, and the thoughtful attention
he paid to what I said to him, attracted me at once. I
remembered how, four years before, I was in the same
4 THE LAST TWKNTY-ONE DAYS OP
state — occupied with my humility, my repentance, my
faith, my love — and while putting on a cheerful face to
make myself believe I possessed that happiness which I
had often heard belonged to a man at peace with God,
what bitterness and anguish lay in the depth of my soul.
I remembered the d:iy when, at the climax of misery, some
one had pointed me to the third chapter of Romans, how
it had opened Heaven to me — the unutterable deliverance
it put me into — and I burned to have him get in the same
place.
I told him nothing he could do could save him ; neither
his repentance, nor his love, nor looking to the work of
the Spirit in him, could give him peace with God. " You
are lost," I said : " you are dead in trespasses and sins —
condemned already— and you might as well think that
weeping and promising to do better could pnt away the
sentence pronounced against you the other day as to think
your repentance, or your promises, or anything from yo//,
can move the curse of God's eternal law which now hangs
over you, as well as over every soul of man who is not
saved.'*
I told him the ofily thing which could meet a " lost"
man's need was salvation — a " dead" man needed li/e^ and
a " condemned" man needed mercy,
I declared to him he was grievously mistaken if he
thought he had made his peace with God. lie could never
THE coNVKrr daniki, mann. 5
.1
do that. ** What, then, must I do?" said he, ui a half-
stunned way. ** Read there," eaid l,and my finger pointed
to Colossiaiis 1. 20: " Aftd hfivlng made peace through the
hloodof His cross . , . ." I pointed ap^ain to GulatianB iii.
13, and said, "read again here!" "Christ hath redeemed
us from the curse of tlie law, being made a curse for us . . ."
I then besought him to read, thoughtfully and prayer-
fully, the third, fourth, and fifth chapters of Romans, and
commending him to the Lord, who alone, I knew, could
open his blinded eyes, I left him in his lonely cell.
I did not call again until the following Tuesday, NoV.
22d. The Turnkey at the entrance-door told me one of the
criminals was anxious to see me since morning. Without
, asking which of tlic two, I called first on the one occupy-
ing the cell nearest the entrance-door, but found him much
as before — more occujued with the actual consequences of
his crinu^ than with His lu.^'i condltioh before 6rOf^— ready
enough to pray and engage in devotional exercises; but
comi>letely blind as to the [/round of salvation.
I It'fl him much downcast in my spirit — full of that de-
jection which often makes n\v long to be w^ith Christ when
I have set forth a Jinhhed s<dn(dion before sinners, and
they answer me, Pit try to do better ; and I had well nigh
forgotten the Turnkey's announcement, when Daniel
Mann's cell being opened to me I was soon reminded of it.
6
THE LAST TWENTY-ONK DAYS OP
Sonively had I taken my seat on the wooden bench beside
him whon he said to rne : " J longed to see you."
** What forV" said I.
'* Since daylight this morning," said he, " I hav'nt been
able to jpray ; 1 can only find time and room for^^rawe."
*' How is that?" said I — " what makes you so happy?"
'' You rememoer," said he, '* your visit to rao last Friday,
and the three chapters you told me to read in Romans?
Well, after pondering a good deal on what you had told
me, and which sounded so differently from anything I had
ever licard, 1 read them over and over again, but 1 seemed
to get more and Tuore miserable. All day Sunday, and all
day yesterday, were dark and gloomy. 1 felt as if I must
surely perish. Last night I could not close my eyes a sin-
gle moment, but L lav on my cnueli in misery. Oh ! what
misery ! Suddenly, wliile in my <l('spair, my mind was
aiivsted by a part of the lillh of Koniaus — these verses:
* For when we were vet without strtM«i»th in due time
Christ died t5i>r the ungodly. For scarcely for a rigliteous
man will one die; yet pera<lvejituru for a good man some
w»)uld even dare to die. But (xod commendeth his love
toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us.' O, dear, dear sir, need I tell you the effect? 1
jumped to my feet. I praised God outright. I felt like a
man who is already in heaven. I saw why Jesus was on
the cross crying out * My God, my God, why hast thou
THE CONVICT DAXIKI. MANN. 7
forsaken nioV I understood what is meant by 'P is fin-
ished.' 1 saw God's love to nie, and I praised and praised
and praised again. I saw my salvation was not out of any
thing from me, but out of CMnist's HnisluMi work ; so 1 cried
out, 'O glorious thing ! f am as sure of my salvation now
as I am sure Christ's work is finished : yea, was finished
over 1800 years ago. I have it, I have it, for I helleve.'^
At he spoke his earnest face, wet with tears, looked to
me like the face of an atigel. Tears rolled down my face
too. I took his neck in mv arms, and could but exclaim :
" My brother, my dearest brother ! we shall sing together
throughout Paternity the value of the blood of Jesus."
Again he said : " How blind I have been. \ never saw
till this morning. Till then my eyes were altogether
turned inwardly — looking within to see something that
God could be pleased with ; but since this morniniij early
my eyes are turned outwardh/ to that which hai^ been done
for me. Till this mornino^ I always thouL^ht what f had
heard many say, that Christ ha<l done His part, and we
must do ours to be saved. What my part was, however,
I never could ijet any one to tell me with certaudf/^ and
still less could T get my soid to tell me. I had the Bible,
but I did'nt know^ where to begin. I was told f must re-
pent, and earnestly and prayerfully I went at it, hMt lu^ver
had the certrinty I had fully satisfied Go<l. I was told by
many to be very earnest in prayer, and I agonized with
V
8
THE LAST TM^ENTY-ONE DAYS OP
4
God until I could but cry out : Lord, if I mtst go to hell,
I'll go there praying. I tried every way, hut there was
no light. Sometimes I tined to make myself believe I was
harder to please than God, and comforted myself with the
thought, that when I got there I would find Him much
less severe than I thought ; but, after all, all was darkness,
and the chance of hell for the world to come was'nt very
frightful to me compared with this world. Before my
trial I prayed many a time that I might be hanged, but
not brought back to the Penitentiary. But this morning,
as I saw my salvation M finished — yes, finished by the
Lord Jesxis — as I saw 1 was justified freely by God's grace
through the redoHiption that is in Christ Jesus, an inde-
scribable peace took hold of rae — all was bright. I saw
at once I now had the key to the Scriptures — the Key of
Heaven itself The face of God was now visible to me —
T could see Him smiling on me, and 1 shouted to the top of
my voice : This is the true light that cometh from Heaven/
" Ah ! talk to me now about my doim/ my ^j>ar^, and I
can answer: I've been doing that since my mother's womb,
and here is the sad end of it !"
Here I felt in my heart the pang which crossed his own,
and I Said : " Yes, you've faithfully finished the work the
devil gave you to do ; but hear the word in John xvii. 4 :
* I have glorified Thee on the earth : I have finished the
work which Thou gavest me to do.' Who said that?
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THR CONVICT DANIKL MANK.
0
What work was that which the Father gave Him to dO|
and which He, in ' nticipation, says He has finished?"
The pang was gone. His dear face beamed again. The
word ^finished was enough to soothe all his sorrows now.
It made him laugh with delight every time it was pro-
nounced. We knelt and praised God together for a long
while, and I left that happiest of all places on earth — a
converted criminars cell.
On Friday, November 25th, I called again, but finding
there was a visitor with him, I told the Turnkey I would
return tho next day.
Upc turning the next day, I found him anxiously ex-
pecting me. The Turnkey had told him I was coming,
and he said he knew he would have another feast.
" What do you mean," said I, " by another feast ? Arc
you so fond of visitors tliat my coming should be a feast
to you ?"
" O, no sir," he replied ; " of course I love you very
much. I can't help that, for you are the one whom God
has used to show me the way — Jlis way of saving sinners.
It is what you point me to thai makes the feast. You
know when a man is as near his end as I am he can't be
expected to take much comfort from any thing bnt what
Ood has said. That is the very thing which first drew
me to you : you never said any thing, or answered auy
thing, without referring me at once to Serq^ture."
,^y^ „...,... .
10
THK LA6T TWENTY-ONE DAYS OF
■ '
n
•• I feel exceedingly happy," I Bai'l, " when I sec a man
whose confiilenee lies alone in whi»t the Word of God
teaches ; for I know this is not the work of Nature. Jesu8
Bays : * My sheep hear my voice,' and His voice, dearcBt
soul, being heard 07ily in the S<^nptures, it is no wonder
you care for nothing but that. When you see a man sat-
isfied with more or less than God*s Word, you may be sure
he is none of His sheep. Would to God I could get the
whole City of Kingston — if it were only those who profess,
even — to try Xhrn foundation and their walk by the W^ord
of God. But, alas! when they find their position untena-
ablc in the light of Scripture, many flee behind the ram-
parts of their creeds or opinions, and think themselves
safe there."
"That is very sad," he said. "Oh! how I wish they
would all with one accord turn to the Word alone. I will
not cease to pray for this wow as long as I am here
But tell me, why <lid'nt T see the truth sooner? for I had
been in the same distressed state of mind nearly since I
was retaken in July. I remember one night the sight of
my sins became stich that I cared neither for my narrow
cell nor for the punishment I expected in this world. Ap-
j>earing before God in such a condition terrified me, so
that I lay all night curled up on the floor crying out : ' O,
God, I am surely doomed — there can be no hope for such
a wretch as 1 1' It was the first time in my life I knew
II
THK CONVICT DANIKL klANX.
n
what conviction of sin is. 1 had already before wlbhed
imicli to be a Christian, and, to attain my wish, iiad eu-
doavored to lead a better life. For quite a while in the
I'enitentiary I 8toj)ped stealing altogether, and refused to
join in the wickedness of luy fellows, until, overcome
again, I made up my mind it was of no use trying to be a
Christian in such a place: but now it was no more trying
or wanting to reform — it was a burning within — a tossing
up and down — an unaccountable anguish, which made me
think of liell — a place where a man craves for death and
can't get it. Well, I was regularly visited, and portions
of Scripture read to me, but to no avail whatever. Look*
ing to the clergymen for help— as I supposed them endow-
ed with special power — I often felt bitter against them,
not getting the relief I expected from them, and which I
thought they had it in their power to give me.* I have
no doubt now the fault was mostly mine; but, tell me, why
did'nt I see the Truth sooner ?''
" First of all," I answered, " God's time is the best time.
Had you found * peace in believing' before your trial, it
would have been very ditferent from what it was. You
^ l8 there not an awful responsibility reBtiufi^ on that body called
the clei'gy, which has assumed a place of Priesthood, thereby leading;^
precious souls to look to them for hdp f Did tl»e ministry of th»
Gospel keep its place of $ermtudi, hoxxIb would not have the excusa
they now have,
n
THR LAST TWENTY-ONE DAYS OF
would not have pleaded * not guilty,' which was a lie : you
would not have needed lawyers to talk for you and color
things; but you would frankly, openly, and truthfully
have stated things as they were. The truth thus spoken
has great eiFect on men's hearts. They might have seen
your real intention was to disable the guard — not to kill
him — so as to effect your escape. You might have been
sent back to the Penitentiary for life, whilst God can glo*
rify Himself most in this way. And remember, now that
— since you believe— the question of your salvation is eter-
nally settled, God expects you to have only Ifis glory at
heart See 2 Cor. v. 15 : * And that He died for all, that
they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves,
but unto Him which died for them, and rose again.*
** Secondly, how can a man tell another the way to a
certain place ?" I asked him.
" Of course, he must know it himself," he said.
"Truly," I answered, " and before a man can preach
Christ he must know Christ — have Christ. Mark, I do not
Bay before he can preach, but before he can preach Christ,
A man may preach all his life, and preach with such elo-
quence that not an eye could be dry, and yet not preach
Christ, A well-informed mind, a sentimental imagination
and a good flow of language, is all a man needs to make a
popular preacher ; but to preach Christ a man must be con-
verted— he must be born again. You could pi^each Chriat
THE CONVICT DANIEL MANN.
It
now : you've passed through God's school. Tho first clapfi
was that night when you curled up on the floor of your
cell. You were in the second when I found you — that is,
trying to repent, and to pray, and sing yourself to Heaven
— doing like the woman who had an issue of blood, and
tried all sorts of physicians without growing any better,
* but rather grew worse.' You passed through the third
last Tuesday morning, and you're a graduate. The *best
robe' covers you. With the touch of f;dth you touched
the hem of His garment, and then and there you were,
like her, * immediately healecV Could'nt you tell others
now the way to be saved ?"
** Why, sir, that's all I can talk about to the Turnkey,
and to poor dear Deacon, when we get together for change
of cells. I can't think about any thing else now, and
though some may look upon it as presumption, from the
abundance of my heart my mouth must speak."
"There is also another thing I must tell you, to answer
your question fully : Dear, earnest souls, really converted
men may be very zealous in advising and trying to teach
others without helping them at all, and the reason is this ;
They have never learned to make the difference which
God's Word makes concerning the relative position of 6^-
lievers and unbelievers / therefore they will apply to a be-
liever what belongs to an unbeliever, and vice versa — so
that confusion must ever prevail in the advised person's
u
TIIK I^AftT TWENTY-OKK PAYS OF
tniad. God's Word calls believers * SaiiitH/ and all tho
rest * Sinneiu' Sinners are described in 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10:
* Know ye not that the unrighteous hhall not inherit the
Kingdom of God ? Be not deceived — neither fornicators,
nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor cifeminate, nor abusers of
themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor
drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the
Kingdom of God.' Saints are described in the next verse :
* And such were some of you — but ye ark washed, but ye
ARE sanctified, but ye ark justified in the name of the
Lord JesuSy a?id by the Spirit of our God.'' God's Word
speaks to these as to men who are saved ; to those as t^
men who are lost ; and unless that distinction is strictly
adhered to the state of things is seen which is mentioned
in Ezekiel xiii. 22 : * . . . with lies ye have made the heart
of the righteous sad^ whom I have not made sad ; and
strengthened the hands of the wicked^ that he should not
return from his wicked way, by promising him life.' "
A flood of light was pounng in the precious soul.
" Then," said he, " I can confidently take my place
among God's children now, for I do believe^ and the Spirit
of God bears witness with my own spiiit that I am a child
of God. I know I have eternal life. It is the gift of God
through Jesus Christ, and I have it by faith."
"Yes," I said ; " having seen, by faith, the * eternal re-
demjuou which Christ has obtaiaed iox ug' (Hcb. ix. 1^);
TUR CONA'ICT DAJSTIEL MANN.
15
having fieen, hy faith, that lie haft, * hy himself nuvj^ed our
sins' (Heb. i. 3), you may be as sure of your salvation as if
you wei*e already in ITeavou. God's Word is as good as
His deed. * You are complete in Him,' is His dedaration,
in Col. ii. 10, to every believer: only your assurance now
must be hy faith, whilst in Heaven it will b') by sif/ht.^''
He said he had been in trouble in leading the third of 1
Corinthians. He eould not comprehend about the works
of a man being burned and himself saved as b}' fire, but
now he saw through it: The man who was on the founda-
tion was a saved inau^ and if he worked for God he would
receive a reward for his faithfulness ; but if he did'nt work
for God, he would get no reward, but only be saved as a
man out of a fire — ^^just with his life.
** Ah !" he said, " would'nt it be sweet, if life were mine
again, to live for God now in every thing !"
I felt glad to see he had grasped the difference l)iitween
the eternal security of every true believer an<l his daily re-
sponsibility, as a heliever^ to (xod. Knowing that his sal-
vation is secure through Christ's finished work — that there
is no more condemnation for him — the believer is apt to
stumble at such a passage as 2 Cor. v. 10, unless he liave
learned about his responsibility for his workSy for which he
will have to appear in judgment.* As soon as he sees that
it is no more the question of his salvation which is to be
raised, but that of his works^ from the time of his conver-
Id
TUB LAST TWENTY-ONK DAYS OF
Bion, his soul abides in perfect peace in llie assurance of
salvation, Avhilst his conscience tin<ls no satisfaction until
lie forsakes every thing which is displeasing to the Lord,
and walks in every thing, as far as he knows, which is to
His glory.
This result I at once perceived in Daniel Mann, by his
peaceful expression: "Ah I would'nt it be sweet, if life
were mine again, to live for God now in every thing !"
" Would you like to have life given to you again V" I
said.
" I really could not choose," said he. " The only thing
that could now bind me to earth is what I have just said,
but on the other hand I have often wished since you were
here last that I miojht not have so lonij to wait till I see
Jesus face to face. The evening and night after your visit
I was especially happy. I had caught new views of the
face of God and I felt so happy that I wished they might
have allowed mo to go to the scaffold then."
On Lord's-day, Nov. 27th, he pressed the Turnkey to go
to the preaching of the Gospel at the City Hall, saying that
if he were free that was where he would go. The Turn-
key said he would go if he could, but something prevent-
ing him, he did not go in the afternoon. When time for
evening meeting came he pressed him again. So he came,
and as he walked home with me after meeting, he said
nothing was more affecting than to see Daniel Mann preach-
'I HE CONVKT DAN'IKI, MANX.
17
in<r to his follow crirninnl in tlie fiiornint;.
a
u
!inv
ImhI
y
^^
c.'iti do Deacon ;niy j^oorr' h(» s;ii<l, *' it's \f:nm ; li" talks
like a man wlio knows Avhat Ik* is abont anil wIutc to jnit
conHdonco, an<l lie in'cnclics to nic also in yuch a way that
it stirs nu' all up
[ licanl afterward that on one occasion tin* 'Punikcv had
'spoken to tin* cti'cct that he was not as li'rcat a sinner as
in<' others, upon which Mann answered, ** lie that bc-
■:( »
lie\'eth not is c<)nd(',hin(fl (drauh/*''
On iMonda V, Xov. 2H, \ tound hitn — 1«> usehisown words
(i
rest in IT" in the tinislied work ofmv Tjud,
<i
II
e was ex-
•erdinixly occupie<l with E]>hesi;ins ii. :', especially the last
u
<lausc
as others
and wc!*c h\ nature the children ol' wrath, even
5^
U
1 see [daiidy, *' he sai<I, "that without one sIul^Ic ci'iine
I was lost, //y Jutture a, chihl of wrath, unfit hv iiiv vcrv
//'///^r<// condition to dwell with (lod, an<l --ui'ely if on ac-
''ountofinv very }Kftnrf \ was lost, what, was I with all
mv sins ami my crimes! r>ut O, the hh)0(l^ \}\k' hh)n<f nf
JrfiHs. it cleanselh fVoni all sin I I see now what ihnt means
I S(M' the whole
ill Uomans ni
U rv
w
(MH' is Hn f//^/^/'C//fV
\\<>i-ld is lost, the most moral as the most imnio]*al, all
:ilike lost, and no better oil* than 1 am befoie (i<mI, nrdess
thes' too rest in fhr fin!sti<<! work of ('hr'iat. Oil ! lain
afiaid there are thousjinds who pit v nu' this day while they
are really objects of my deep pitv, for I fear they think
I . IJ.I I . I p ■
18
TIIK LAST TWENl Y-ONK DAYS 01'
i 1
I'. >
llwit tliey are not as iictMly of Christ as T am, not having
run to siicli excesses."
After a good while of sweet fellowship together, during
which I coidd see the wonderful pi'ogress he was making
in the knowledge of Christ, he said, hesitatingly : " I beg
your pardon for taking such freedom, but i)lease tell me
how you live, since you belong to no sect. There was a
irood deal of talk amono* the men at the Penitentiary about
vou and those who came before vou in the same way, and
some said you were all the sons of noblemen, or very
wealthy men, who provided you with all you needed, so
that you did not need to put yourselves in tlie hands of a
society."
'*^ We are all the sons of the King of kings and the ser-
vants of the Lord of lords,'"* I said, "and He is not to us
a (to«1 afar off, but a Fdt/tcr who knows we have need of
food ami clothing for our bodies as we had need of salva-
tion for our souls. If we served a society, we wo\dd rely
on that society"'s }»ledge to )>rovide us with our need, and
surely (mkVs plerlge to provide them that serve llun is no
less trustworthy. Surely no society has ever yet counted
the hairs of one oi' its laborers, but our Father has counted
every one of ours, xunX proves it to us by ITis care of the
sparrows and the lilies.
" Have the sparrows and the lilies any care ? Do they lay
up for the futuie ? Do they make piovision for the flesh ?
THE CONVUT DANIEL MANN.
to
Well, it is the blet^sod j)rivilei:;;e of every riiMii who known
\\v is serving tho LordUt be as Iree from eare as tliev are,
and to go about everywhere in the lull assuranee that they
who preaeh the (rospel shall live of tiu* (lospel !
On this ground they who have wealth of their own re-
fusi' to leceive anv thinix, and thcv who luivo nothiiej: sin)-
|)ly trust (fod, as the hus])andinan trusts (Jod for rain when
he sow s his seed. Ood moves the heart of whom He will
to ti'ive ;is w
hat
we nee(
I
am
am
1 tl
le eo
Id
WUH
1 bl.
th
\ it; at t
•I
imes, we are s
hort
ows throULih oui' worn <
lotl
les, we
wait patiently on Ilim, knowing a Father never tries a
dear ehilil without a ])urj)ose. Thus I can thank my Fatlier
for these slioes I have on, for my eoat, for every urtiele I
wear and every ])ieee of bi'ead I and my lamilv eat. Oh !
I assure you, givinii' (Jod thanks every tinu' we set down
It) eat, is lU) vain form in sueh a lite as tlii:
;k
31
y purpose is served, >ai(l lu
1.
d li
tl
15
u* reaxui w
hv I
ni
inle bold to a>k you this (piesli(jn is, that I have seen late-
ly, in reading the Scriptures, how the |U'omises for tlu^
life whieli now is abound aniomr those f)r the life which is
to come, and it struck me as beiiej; oidv ^'tntsisteHt in a
1 wdio believes the foi-mer to believe also the latter."
Exactly so,'' I said ; *^ therelbre I atlirm tliat a man who
cannot thus trust God implicitly has no business co jjreteiid
to serve Ilu/c ; he should go to work with his own hands
for his bread. Want of faith in (iod, is what m*cessitates
mai
20
THE LAST 'IVVKNTV-ONE DAYS OF
all tlie existing niacliiiuM-y (or i^ettiii:^ money, iiiul what
builds up sects; for before a sect will su])port a man be
must pledge liimseli' to build It \\\) exclusively, while the
man who trusts God can, without iear, go from (he east to
the west, from the north to the south, among fiiends or
strangers, building u[) the Body of Christ — the Church <)f
the Living God !''
" Of a truth that is serving God and ettjoifUif/ (Tod,*"*
said he, as deliuht fairly trashed from Ids eves. " You are
already, in this life, in tlu* subui-bs ol'the City of God. If
life were mine again, would'Jit it be sweet to sjKMid it in
that
wa
y
V
*' You would iind it unspeakably sweet to the spirit,'' 1
replied, *' but olten very bitter to the ilesh. A man, to fol-
low Clirist, must renounce Jili)iself\ and the iiesh loves self
amazinii
y
?5
On Tju'sday, Deceinber 1st, as T came in his cell, he said
lie was jnst ihinking of me — wishing \ might come. The
sweet cahu of his face was the same, but liis heart often
swelle<l unaccountahlv, as if it would burst.
. " Does S;it:in assail vou with doid)ts V'' 1 asked.
*' O, no,'' he replie^l ; '' f have not liail a shadow of doubt
ce I saw the linished woi-k of Chi-ist. i know that is as
Rin
well finished as mine.
I know my redem))tio!\ is as sure
and everlasting, hi/ His work, as my damnation was sure
ami everlasting bv my work. Tlie fruit oi* mv work was
Till!: ooWKrr hantkl Mann,
21
(le.'illi to ilini, Init tlie tViiit of His is life — Kt(M-iutl Life —
to ine, thanks \)e to God for l'\ (.miikum I How cjiii T ever
sink, resting;* upon SJicli :i roi;k ? l>ut, I siippose, njy sor*
row is the lirirvest oiu- inn^t inevitably reap from what ho
has sown. To die is o.iin — Lireat Ljain to nie now — 1>nt I
cannot sini»- like Paul ami Silas: Thev were i*eai>in''- t)ie
fruit of faitliful service to (io'l, whilst 1 am ri.'apinLj: the
fruit of faithful service to the devil."''
lie asked nie sonn- explanation on the seventh chapter
of Ivonians, which he had been readiuiji;.
I told him that, from the rdh verse, it w.x^ the ex[)erienee
of a man who, hiwlwj: Jorf/ineness of sins throUL>;h faitli in
the hlood of Jesus, is learnini:; what .s'/// is. "Such is mafi,"
I said ; " Hi* st maples rniujhiily to make conipensati<^n to
<.Jod f(jrthe sins he has done, until, lindinir no peace in any
thing lie ean <lo, lie falls on what Christ has done, and
fmds peace. It's terribly humiliating' to be saved by wliat
another has done for you, esj^eeially vx'hen such an one is
the Son of (lod ; but humiliatiiui is better tlian damnation,
and the j'oor, weai*y, proud sinner. yiehN. This part you
know. But he has not yet rt ached the end of his humilia-
tion. When the intensity of his delight in havini; found
tbrgiveness «)f sins is past a little, he thids that, in spite
of forgiveness — in sjfite of his craving desire to })leaHo
<iod — of iiis <iisinlerest(:d lv)ve to the Ijord Jesus — of his
lustinuj an<l r)ravinir — theiv is Homethin<r in him which he
■1
22
TIIK I.A.ST TWENTY-ONE DA VS OP
bitterly liatcp, and whicli }ie eaiiiiot '^at rid of. Tie is in
|»raycr, liaviiig a sweet time with God, when, suddenly,
this thinij^ he hates brinc:^ in his thouurhts soniethin<j: either
so sinful or so foreign to eonun union with God, that the
sweetness is broken.
If he is sin<i;inLC somc^ ineeious livmn, and makinu: melo-
dv in his heart to God, in a t wibkle he (matches liiniself
niakin<»- nmsie with his lii)s, while his heart is busy with
any thing l)nt the praise found in the words he sings. If
he walks alone, now and then he awakes to the sad thought
that, instrad of feeding on the Mamui he has been thinking
about 'the eneunibers, and the mcdons, and tlie leeks, and
the onions, and the garli<-' of Iv4V[>t. If lie is among men,
lie finds the same annovanee in his dealiiiixs with them —
the wrong is always f<f(f/(/esf(wl i'wn when he is doimj the
right, In a woinI, he is harassed by this so nineh that,
until he knows what it is, and where (io<l places it, he can
not ha^'e sciiUA peaee.
This thing, then, whieh he hates, is what (Jod calls Hhe
flesh.' — Itead verse 5. The aimovances I have mentioned
He calls ' the nioth^ns ofshis.'^ — Read verse 5 again. The
distress experienced and ex|)ressed by the cry, ' O ^cretch
ed /nan that / <^^///,' comes by applying ' ^At: knr^ to the
flesh. — Read once
•omes
moi
erse ;>.
The law thunders out
from Sinai, with its divine, cursing power, ' Thou shalt not
lusty but the flcwsh, after man's vain struggles to obey it,
TME OONVirr DAXIKL MANK.
23
compols liiin to aiiswiT l)at'k, ' it /.s' not subject to the law of
God^ xEiTiiKii TNDEKi) (AX HK.' Ah! sjiys Go<l, at this
iijiictiiro, vou have <n)\ just vvIkm'o T wanted voii. Your
Htriigglos to make the Hesli better lias been as vain as your
efforts to make compensation for your sins : you are luim-
bled enouL^h to listen to Me now. Well, hedmnd find full
deliverance : ' You are not utnk'r law mr under ghack.'
(Horn. vi. 14). Pause a moment, and just think.
" Hear a^ain : ' Ve also are become dead to the law by the
body of Christy that ye should be marritd t<* another, even
to Him who is raised from, the dead"* — (Romans vii. 4).
Hear again — O ! hear this : * Ye are N(rr in thk flesij, but
in the iSpirit.'' — (Koni. viii. 9) — so that now it is the glori-
ous privilege of every true believer to'iiECKON himself
dead indeed u /do w//v, but alive unto God through Jesus
(Jhristour Lord P — (Kom. vi. 11). And now hear the cli-
max:: ''For VE ake dead, ami your life ishidirith Christ
in God, When. Christ,, our ///r, shall <ii)pear,^ then shall
ye rdso apjy.ar 'With Hint in ylory.'' — (Co!, iii. *], 4)."
Thank (Jod ! thaid< (^od !" he exclaimed, "to have
U rp
sent a man to Kingston to [)oint me to such amazing love
and grace. These j)assages have shown me more of what
n
ly soul already aj)|)rehende<l. It a{»pears to me as if I
were no more in existence, but, as it were, living in anoth-
er, and continuallv repeating to llim what, on the cross,
He did for me."
jliyi il,Mm 1.1.
■II' x.i.i wH
il
24
IHK LAST TWKNTY-ONK DAYS OF
"Oh!'' lui a<1(li'(l, ns he sqncezefl the Book aG^ninst liis
bosom, " I feel som('tir^('^J like OHti.iLC it, such is my cravinir
to ijethohl of its bh'Sso<l coiitcnts.''
The intense aftection Avliicli was settliiiix in inv bosom
for that man cannot be told. I had been }>reaehino' in
Kingston live months, \\\v times a week, and teaeliing
Heekimx s(nds from lionse tolionse besides, and yet but few
(]i<l I kr»(>\v who, in all that time, had made tlie proi^ress
lie had made sinci* he had found 'M)eaee in believinir."
I saw in liim what [ alretidv believed that the reason
why {)<'(rj)h' \\hn kiiv;\v Chri'^t are so slow in oi-owinrr ;-iih\
walkinii' in 1 lim is because thcv are not free fi'oni *' seek-
ing lionor une of anotlxT." /Ag eared fof man no moi"e ;
liis ear was o|)en to (uu\ <ib.»Hf\ and tlu^ stiidcs In* made
were wondei'fid.
Uetold me lie \\ as not satisfied m itli the //•//V/^M)a[»tism
lie had reeeiv(>d. He < r-uld >ee rtidy ^)f //V /v /•••? baotism in
S<'i ijit ni'e, and iiial by iinmersicri. Ife wished me to b;ij)-
ti>:e liini. which f uKidiy di<] iii the lai'^:' orison tub. lie
als«> asked me if I would be with him at liis execution. It
would be the la*-! kindn(ss I eeidd ^\(^ him on earth, and I
said Yes, tlMMiuli ( felt (b)ubtful of ruY ability to lu-ar it.'
On Thursday. Dec. .')d, I called a^ain. Tliat coll inside
fhj,««e (lark waJls was now the most attractiYO |>lace to me
Ofi en A\^ and 1 felt tliankiul to the Lord tor the kitulnesy of
the rtuthoritiee in allowing me to go in as often as I pleased.
iiiiMitti
THE COWICT PANIEL My\NX.
His inotlu'i* was with liim when I came, so 1 sent a word
askiip_c ^i^^i it' I should go away and return after a while.
He answered he was the more anxious to liave mo come
in, ns he longed to ]»ave his mcjlher see what he saw, and
I miglit be able to set tlie (Gospel before her more clearly
tlnin lie eonld. I gladly went in, and, while I was setting
before her the tinished rcMlemption which is in Christ Jesus,
lie broke out. unable any lomxer to hold the *' rivers of llv-
ing water' which lilled him. and said : '* Yes, mother, it's
allfinlsJu'.d--idlduiie; and since then the veil of lieaven
has been rent in twain, and such sinners as we are, heliev-
itxj^ can have boldness to enter in by the blood of Jesus.
When I came in tins prison, thi'ce weeks ago, mother, I
only knew one passage in the whole l^ook which could
give me any ho]»e at all. That Avas in Timothy: 'This is
a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptntion, that Chi'ist
Jesus came into the world t(» snve sinners: of whom 1 am
(hief ' I would i-epeat that ]>assage to myself, and say —
then there is ln)pe for me; I need not despair. But I
thomxht I stood a chance only at death. If, durluij: the
time I had yet to live, I,' in some way — I could not tell —
became good, I would stand a good ehance wIkmi I died.
But, O mother, it lajirnshed — all finished ! ' All we like
slieep have gone astray ; we ha\(' turned every one to his
own way; and the Lord has laid o?i Jlbu the itifquity of
>is allP Mother, the iniqnlty of us all was laid on Him —
26
THK LAST TWENTY-ONK DAYS OF
I I
on JoFUs — more than 1800 years ago. Our salvation is
fifiished e\er since, and Jesus since tlien has been sitting
at God's right hand to enjoy the sight of believing sinners.
Mother, as sure as Christ sits at God's right hand, so sure
am I that I am saved, and that I shall be with Him in a
few days."
His mother wept bitterly. P^specially when she left him
she could not control her sobs, but he comforted her to the
last, saying : " Mother, I never was any comfort to you,
but now you inay have this comfort the rest of yo\ir days :
The law demands my body, but it is all it can do ; I am
now redeemed bv the blood of Jesus, and vou may be sure
that in a few days you shall have a son in Heaven. '*
His composed, smiling lace was l»eautifiil as long as he
could thus comfort his poor mother; but as soon as the
sound of her stei)s was lost in the corridors, and we were
h)cked in alone again, his heart began to swell, and his
sobs, breaking out almost into roaring, manifested such
distress, that I coidd only look at him and weep. Soon,
however, he looked up to heaven, and, lifting uj) his clasp-
ed hands, unburdened himself in beseeching God to com-
fort his [)oor mother, and all those he was grieving by his
sad end. -
Soon he was calm again, as usual, and turning to me h<'
said : " I wish 1 had not to wait so long to be with Jesus.^'
I said, "let us talk to our Lord a little while." We both
THE < ONVKT 1»AN1KI. MANN,
kiu'lt close together, and hv eoiiunenced jvt once to ])ray,
or, I'atlier, indeed to talk to the Jjord. It was a child ask-
ing liis Vather what lie needs, lie especially requested
that whenever the Lord shonhl send me to preach the Gos-
pel, tlie liearts of the people might he oj)ened to hear it.
Ifc praised (lod a lonir whih', in that lie had sent His
dear Son into the world to do the work by which such poor
wri-'tcluul sinners as lie could be saved. He praised Christ
for having finished the wr>ik of salvation which ITis Fatlier
had given Him to <]o. He j>raised (iod {hv ])aving reveal-
ed His Son to him, in whom lie had Eternal Life, an<l he
finished bv asking I might not c:i'ow weary in the work I
was in. That 1 might be comforterl in all my difficulties.
That I and my P\amily might never want anything, and
that the Holv Ghost might lead nu^ wherever there were
such needv souls as he was.
After he had risen, I notiied he was \ 1 1 y pale. I asked
him if he feh fiiint. '' O no," he said ; ''but the thought
that 'our fellowship is with tlu' I'^ather aiul with His Son
Jesus Clirist,' quite carries me beyond this worhl. I wisli
the time was not so far away for me to be out of this body,
and to enjoy Him without distraction of any kind. The
thought of bodily pain is nothing. T am learning every day
more to hate myself, and the denial of what we hate is not
ver
hard;'
I see in you,'' F said 'Mhe same thiiig that is seen in
y
\h 1
98
THE L\ST TWENTY-ONE DAYS OF
ev(M'y man wlio is gottinij^ acMiuaintcd with Christ: llo finds
such beauty in ChriHt thut he cannot Imt loathe irnnself ;
and the nearer the Christian lives to the Lord, the more
he loathes liimself. Tliere are some Christians who are
always talking about their own perfection — their great
love and holiness, etc., and by so doing they make tlie
blind believe that they live near God; but a man whose
eyes are open has never any good to say of liimself*. I have
a sister who was ahvaysa kind sister, and a faithful daugh-
ter, and yet when she came to the knowledge of Christ she
hated the garments she had worn in the 'innocent pleas-
ures' of the world. A brother, also, of mine, after he found
Christ, would often s|)eak of himself very disparagingly — •
so much so that they who knew him well said he exaii'^-er-
ated. 'Ah !^ he would answer, ' if vou saw mv heart as 1
see it, you would tell me I am yet far short of telling the
whole truth.' Thus, while one has the full assurance of
salvation, which you now possess, he is humbled down to
the dust. He glories in the Lord who has buuuht him,
but he remembers also that in himself lie is only ' wounds
and bruises sunl j>f(fr If i/ihfj sores.' When he sees this, he
is done serving self, t/asus alone is worthy to Ije [)raised,
adored, and served."
"You make me glad," he said. "It is joy to my soul
to hear man made nothing of, and Jesus made every thing.
Oh ! what a love I feel kindling in my bosom for all on the
TIIK <:«).VVU'T PANIKT. MANX.
20
t'xc.o. of the eartli who rn:iko iiothiiii^ of u\:\\i and every
tliinir of niv .losu.s. Ivenu'inbor me in love to vour brother
and sister, and all who are of the natne niin<L
Tie toM nie lie Inul read the first Kpistle to the Tliessa-
lonians, and he h.ad |>lainly seen that the same Jesus who
had i^one up to heaven on a elond, in the view of his dis-
• 'iples, wouhl eome as^ain in person, and it seemed to he
;» sui)jeet set before the cliihlren (►!' (mm! Ibr their }io[)e and
their eornfort. " I remember hearing- Milierites preaehing
it,"" lie said, '^and settini^ time; do you believe in it?".
*' I believe what you have found in Thessalonians," I an-
swered, " and which is treated of in many other places in
Scripture. As to setting time, it is a piece of man's pre-
sumption or ignorance; hut as to the Lord's return, it is
wliat Scripture declares every child of God ought to be
looking for incessantly. To any eye that is open it is plaiii
we are in the very * last days,' but a child of God ought
not even lo be lookiuLj at that. The won! savs Ids Lord
is to come at any hour — at any moment — and he should
be in a waiting state in heart and practice. "
'' How sweet that is," he said. '' Even if I am executed
before He comes, you may not have to wait long. O be
very earnest, my brother !"
This was like a voice coming to me from the other world.
i have been waitini^ every dav for our dear i^ord, and en-
deuvoring to act upon it those four years; but that v«^ice
ao
I'FIK LAST TWENIY-ONE DAYS OF
in a cell, teHinjj; nu* witli such crn|»]iasis, ** be ejirncst, '' lias
wroujrht a still more buniiiij^ desire to " he steji'lf'jist, inv
movcjihle, always ahounding in the work of tlie Lord.''
After a time of silence? he said : " () 1 foii;<»t — I fori^ot to
tell mother."
" What V" I aske<l. '* If it is somethiiiLj: you can tell me,
I can go to see her, and tell her.''
"1 would V)e glad." he said, **if yo\i would. It is this:
I leave this world belonging to no sect. I belong to (^hrist
who has redeemed me with his own blood, an<l made me
his own prr)j>erty. I belong to no sect, no man, no creed
ofa?iy kind, and I would impress her with the dishonor
made to Christ in belonging to any thing ofthpt kind, that
when God has made her to see wliat I now see, she mav
•
DjloritV Ilim in it. I belouLT to (Uirist. and to him (done.
I hne God's jieople — all who make nothing of man and
every thinir of Jesus. I wisliT could see them all, serve
them all, and enjoy communion with them ail ; but Ihdonff
to Christ. I am a Christian, holding now the relationship
to all my brethren which I shall hold through all Eter-
nity.
His faith, his deep insight into the ways of God, and the
holy boldness of his speech, were Innding me to him more
than I (!ver had been bound to any one. The thouglit of
our speedy separation was almost more than 1 conld bear.
1 had already spoken to so ne of my brethren about the
TIIK rONVK^r DANIRI. MANN.
:)l
propriety of liaviiiLX s|)Ocial pniycr inoetings fur his ropiievc,
hut they hud pointed me to I John v. 10. "There is a sin
unto .leath; I do not s;iy tlnil we shall pmy for it;" and
this had (U)nvinred me that seekinLj after a reprieve for him
would be improper; both in the sis^ht of God, who has "■ or-
daine<l tiie powers that be,'' and j^iveu tliem the sword
*Mbr the j)uni.shment of evil doers/* and in the siglit of the
world before whom the Chiistian is to walk in perfeet sub-
mission to tliose powers. The; word of God liad eonvineed
and satisfied me, but my h>vefor him wassueh that I would
(gladly have gone to beseeeh the Governor for him. As it
was, I eoidd find comfort only in this one thing; Aiiten,
Kven .vf>, r()^tu' Lord .A-.s^/.s*.'"
On Mon<hiy, Dfc. 5th, I found him brighter and more
cheerful than at nny time before. His eoat was rolled up
for a ])illow at one end of liis wooden beneh, and he was
lying there '' feasting on God's love,'' as he said, when the
sound of the key roused bin).
Dailv, he said, thiu<jcs were ^rowinij brighter before him,
Dailv lu* abhorred self more, and deliohted in the Saviour
more. '' Kven in n)y sletj),'" he said, "the love of God
occupies my unconscious thoughts." lie said, before he
had peace, he often agonized in prayer for hours ; but since
tu' had M'ij!\\ (Uirist on the cross had gc^nc; through tlic agony
foi' sin, he could feel agony no longer ; but he ilelighted
to lie quietly on his back and just think of the love of God.
32
THE LAST TWKNTY-ONE DAYS OF
"And O I such rapturous hours," lio addeil; " wliat will it
he when I eft't tlierc ! all this is no more a sentimental re-
liorion, uhose seat is in one's imagination or feel in djs. It is
a solid roek the believers teet are on, and founded on that
h) may well feel ha]){)y.''
ITe ^ot nuieh hlessin^ froin Jolin xvii. 4 : "I liave jilori-
fied Thee on the earth ; I have hnishod the work whicli Thou
gavest nie to do,'- So far he had oidy seen Christ aatisfy-
mg the justice of God in dying for j»oor sinners; but on
til is occasion he saw Christ glorifying God in that work
He liad b<'en sent to do. lie saw tlie wondoful severeign-
ty of God, since every word \vlii(;h He had spoken rnustl.»e
utterly fiiliilled, even if it cost the very life of the Darlino:
of His bosom; and this sovereij^n rijj:hteousness brou<j:ht
out fully by the work of Chi'ist. By it He proves the ho-
lini'ss of God, His uijtlinchin<jc iustice and His amazincc
love, all combined and interlaced. He is lioly, and tliere-
fore the sin of the sinnei' must be put away before the sin-
ner can a])proach Him ; He is just, and tlierefore Christ
must be '' made a curse for us" bef<r)re we can be "redeem-
ed from the curse of the law ;'' He is love, and therefoie
He comes doAvn in Man to " reconcile the world unto Him-
self," by laying their iniquity on that perfect Man.
This, of course, carried him far beyond the thought oi
his own eternal safety. Tlie glory of God was a new
tield for his delighted soul.
THE CONVKT DAXIEL MANX.
33
One thing surprised me more tlian any thing before : he
had seen the difFerence in reading the Scriptures, between
the "comins: of the Lord" and the " dav of Christ." The
former referrinij: to the comino: (»f Chiist for His saints, the
latter to His coming inith His saints to execute judgment
on the nations of the woHd. Surely, I thought, if the Holy
Ghost So thoroughly instructs a child of God, who has
but nine days niv,!*e to live, in the thitigs concerning the
return of our Lord, He must be wonderfully occupied with
it compared with the time when the Church almost wholly
ignored the suliject.
He asked me if I had been happy in preaching the day
before. I told him, as it was truly the case, I had never
had more power Irom on High in preaching before. He
said : " I thank God, for during the hours of preaching I
besought God to help you and to cause the good seed to
fall on ofood ijround."
He said it was very sweet to him to see the change that
peace with God brought in a man's mind. Before he had
peace, occupied with himself incessantly, he cared for noth-
ing or nobody; but now, occupied with Christ, liis heart
went after every body — longing all miglit get what ho
got. He was not insensible to their temporal things, but
it was their spiritual tilings which occupied him most. He
seemed especially anxious for the souls of his fellow-convicts
in the Penitentiary, and several times expressed the wish
84
THE LAST TWENTY-ONE DAYS OF
that I should be allowed, if it were but once or twice, to
preach to thera about the finished redemption in Christ
Jesus.
On Wednesday morning, Dec. 7th, after returning from
the country where I had gone the day before to preach, I
heard something had come out on the Morning Daily Paper
as a production from Daniel Mann which was unbecoming
to a child of God. Upon procuring a paper I found it to
be truly what it was rei)resented to be, and even suppos-
ing the things he said to be just, and ascribing the way in
which he said them to his great ignorance of the rules of
well-bred society, the spirit manifested was any thing
but a spirit of love, especially toward certain officials of the
Penitentiary.
I had, from the moment he had found peace, been so con-
fident of his being a converted man that I could scarcely
believe the article was his own and to avoid troubling him
unnecessarily with what was going on outside I went to the
publishing office to ascertain. The original aiticle was
shown me and I could doubt no longer ; it was his own hand-
Tvriting. A keener pang had never crossed my bosom,
Thoughts of all sorts rushed to my mind and satan assailed
me with the dreadful thought my erring brother was only
a hypocrite doubly worthy of contempt for his ability to be
80 in the face of death and Eternity. In my sorrow I could
but say with the wearied prophet : **Tt is enough ; now O
wmmmm
ms
THE CONVICT DANIKL MANN.
35
Lord, take away my life ; for I am not better than my fa-
thers. "
In a moment, however, I was reminded how often I had
failed, and far more grievously than this, since I had found
{►eace in Christ. Also, liow mnch more grievously than
this Peter and James and John and others had failed,
though children of God and even Apostles of Our Lord
Jesus Clirist ; so I took courage and went to the Prison,
feeling sure the opportunity had come for the admonition
in Galatians vi. 1 : "Brethren, if a man be ovt^rtaken in a
fault, Ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit
of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be temp-
ted."
As soon as I had entered his cell he said he.had been long-
insj all morninix to see me cotne in ; he felt verv much de-
jected, and he could not tell why.
" Since when ?" I asked.
" Since yesterday niorniui;,'' he replied ; *' and Oh ! how
I did wish to see you all day yesterday."
" Have you lost j^^ur peace?" T asked him.
*' No," he said. " Sometimes I feel the old way return-
ing ; that is, trying to work myself into some great state of
love and religious feelinir before God, b\it at once the Word
in Corinthians comes to me ' if one died for all fhen were
all dead,"* and T say, how can a dead thing do any thing?
Christ did it all long ago ; all is finished ; there ifi the only
36
THE LAST TWENTY-OME DAYS OF
place where I can rest, and where I do rest ; hut something
is in my way. I can rest in God's love hecause [see there
is no other ground where a tiinner can rest; but rest is'nt
enough for me, I want to rejoice in the Lord and I can't."
As I saw his broken state of mind I felt \ must deal very
gently with him so as not to grieve him beyond measure.
More than ever drawn to liim I could now also wound him
without fear, for his wounds were mine, so I said : "Per-
haps you have not heeded the admonition in Ephesians iv. :
* Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed
unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath,
and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away
from you with all malice; and be ye kind one to another,
tender-hearted, foriijivinu: one another, even as God for
Christ's sake hath forgiven you.' The article from you
which came out in yesterday morning's paper did not
surely breathe thai; tender-hearted, forgiving s])irit, spoken
of in the above passage; th'-refore the Holy Spirit who
now dwells in you has been grieved, and if you grieve your
Comforter, how do you expect to be comfoited ? Ah !
my brother, the flesh is a source of much grief to all the
true children of God."
As soon as I had spoken these words his expression
became one of indescribable grief, and his heart began to
swell again as after his parting with his mother. "Oh 1"
he exclaimed, looking up to Heaven and squeezing my
THE CONVICT DAMIuL MANN.
87
hands in his, " llianks bo unto God I 1 shall soon be out of
a wretched world where I never did but rebel ascainst God
and man, and where I can now but grieve Mini who has
bought me with His own blood."
I could truly weep with Inni, for T knew by experience
tlie powerful union of the Christian's three bitter foes : the
tiesh, the world, and the devil. I knew well how the devil
8tirs up the tlesh, and how the world l<»ves to get hold of
the result and make the best of it.
Feari UQj now that satan should take advanta<2;e of his
fault, and remembering he was only a child two weeks old,
I proceeded to establish him in what he already perceived
plainly, that is, that a fault could in nowise aftlct his son-
ship. It could only affect his ('ominu)ilon. His sonship
rested on X\)q finished to ork of Chritit, through faith in Ilim.
His sonship therefore could not be touched except by over-
lhrowin<4 Christ or his ceasinir to believe Jesus is the Christ.
Peace had been made by the blood of His Cross, and He,
risen from the dead and seated at God's right hand, " is
oar peace.'*'' I pointed him to 1 Cor. i. 30 ami others of the
same character, and in a little while I saw the desired effect;
seeing that nothing, not even his failures could rob him of
his salvation, since that was in Christ in whom he believ-
ed he said with more and more grief: " Oh ! blessed Savior,
to think that I could thus grieve Thee I Thou whose blood
has secured me an eternal inheritance in Heaven, I am
88
THE LAST TWKNTIi'-ONE DAYS OF
ashamed, so jishauied of my sol f, Lord, that 1 (-an but lie
down in confusion before Thee !'*
Turning to me he said : ** And I have grieved you too,
ray brother. Alnl yon are strong and able to resist the
evil, therefoie God has called you to face it, but I am weak,
80 weak that God saw I was'nt fit to live, even as a child
of His. I shall soon be where I can jiraise him as I wish."
" Well," sa>..'^ 1, *' the same God who )>?ovided salvation
for the sinner has i\]: proiided restoration for the believer.
In restoration as in sal -tit ion the way is His own, and that
is Christ. Salvation fj\ > 'e sinner is through His blood,
restoration for the ])elievei- l^* through His intercession."
We read together the first ten verses of John xiii. and then
T said to him : " Do yon see how that Jesus in anticipation
o/the work He was going to do on the cross for the salva-
tion of sinners, girds Himself with a towel, and, with ioatei\
washes His Disciples^ feet f Peter n(»t yet knowing the
wondrous work his Master is to do before he can be a
converted man, cannot understand such humiliation, ami
therefore refuses to have Him humble Himself down to such
work, but Jesus insists, telling him he will know after a
while what this means. In a moment Peter changes his
mind and wants to be washed all over. O no, says Christ,
"he that is washed (by blood) is clean every whit; he
needeth not, save to wash liis feet (by water).' All this is
very simple now. The *atler while' is passed, and any
til
THE CONVK^' DAXlttL MANN.
39
child of God can see what it moans, for afler Christ had
obtained an eterual redemption for us and gone back Home,
He sent down the Holy Ghost who now dwells in every
converted man and enables him to search and comprehend
the deep things of God : when a man believes, then and
(Jiere he is washed in the blood and * is clean every whit/
By one sacrifice he is * perfected /'or every so that he 7ieveT
again need be washed in the blood. Those who think they
need to be washed in the blood constantlv make the blood
•r
of Jesus, as far as tliey are concerned, no better than that
of bulls and of goats, beside annulling the need of His inter-
cession. But while he is a man every ichit^ and eternally
cleansed by the one shedding of the blood of Jesus, he is
a man who has the iiesh dwelling in him, a wicked world
iill around him, and the devil constantly after him. He
lias to walkm the midst of all these difficulties, and \\\^feet
are very apt to get muddy, as yours did by the article on
ihe paper, and may yet again. Christ washing our,/e^^ in
water must be clear to you now. 1 John ii. 1, expresses it :
' If any man sin ice {tnho are saved) have an advocate witl)
the Father^ Jesus Christ, the Righteous;' and again in Uo-
mans viii. 34 : * who is even at the right hand of God, who
also maketh intercession for us (believers).^ Jesus died,
and therefore the btlieviny sinner livefe ; Jesus intercedes,
and therefore the offending but confessing believer is re-
stored to communion with God."
40
THE LAST TWENTY-ONK DAYS OF
His cup was full and running over. We knelt together,
and in a quiet, subdued prayer, such as I never had heard
before, he poured out his heart to God, especially beseech-
ing Ilini to keep him from ever again grieving His Holy
Spirit and dishonoring His Blessed Name.
For a long while we sat close together on his bench, he
weeping like a child and only interrupting the silence from
time to time by saying: "How sweet to lie down on the
mercy of God !" or, " what a vile thing I am ; Lord, what
a vile thing 1 am !" or, *• how kind in you, dear brother, to
tM^W me !"
" I am no better than you," I said ; " my flesh is tbe same
as yours. My spirit is willing as yours, and my flesh as
weak also ; to-morrow I may need to be admonished in my
turn. I have only done what my hand would do for ano-
ther member of my body, if in need. Ik^lieving you belong
to the Body of Chrut, to which I also belong, I have only
followed that which the Lord of the Body wishes to see,
and which He expresses in the twelfth cha})ter of first Cor-
inthians. Head it when I am gone."
1 had come to the prison grieved at what had happened.
I left happier than ever, sure the Lord would draw His
praise even out of this.
On Friday, Dec. 9th, he was quite taken up with some-
thing he had found on Wednesday night after I had left
him. It was the same thing with which he had been oc-
TIIK CONVICT DANIEL MANN.
41
cuf>ie(l for some days, of which ho had tasted the bitter
fruit a little while before, and which God was showing
him with power, namely, thejfesh.
Until a late hour at night, he said, he was, as it were,
swallowed up in this passage of Psalm li. 5 : " Heboid, I
was sliapen in ini(piity, and in sin did my mother conceive
me/' " I saw myself," he said, *' a mere mass of corrup-
tion, and such corruption, that I cannot describe my feel-
ings; r praised (lod who enabled n^e to sec myself as He
saw me, and. Oh! my brother, if you knew how I got to
hating myself! it was such a strange thing. You know it
is natural for every man to have some respect for himself,
and, even when in the Penitentiary, if any man had said in-
jurious things to me I would have resented it, supposing my
honor as a man was touched. Some one who calle<l at the
Penitentiary made some cutting remark on my family, and
upon hearing it I made up my mind that my first duty upon
my release would be to aveiige the ottcnce ; but since the
other niojht it seems to me that the more evil said of me the
better it makes me feel. Indeed it's lost time to talk evil
about me. The best way is to take it all in a lump and
say. He is only evil. The veiy essence of me is evil. All
from me can be l)ut evil. Oh ! what a sight ! And yet, do
you know, I never was so happy in my life. I can hardly
tell why I should be so happy at such a sight, exce[)t that
it made the grace of God more manifest to me ; but I was
-^
42
THE LAST TWKNTY-ONE DAYS OF
BO happy that I could not sleep. I felt as if I must get out
of my cell, gather the whole world around me, and tell
them they were all f^hai^en in iniquity, conceived, born and
brouglit up in sin, and all rotten to the heart as well as
myself, and the only way of course for such creatures to
appear before a Holy God was by what Jesus had done —
for the very best thing such creatures could do must be
only filth]/ raf/s. I praised God again and again, and when
I saw it was no use thinking about preaching to the world
I thought I must preach to the night guard. I have
thought since, he may have imagined, from the way I spoke
to him, that I was'nt quite right in my mind, for 1 saw my-
self as God sees me. I assure you if every body would see
themselves as God sees them they wouKl'iit feel like speak,
ing evil of one another, and if any evil was spoken they
wouUVnt care about justifying themselves."
" I see you have got where every child of God ought to
be," I said, " and you make me think about a much hated
servant of the Lord Jesus: As he was going quietly on his
way once, some one tried to anger him by heaping insults
upon him ; but he soon put out the fire by saying, ' if you
knew me as I know myself you would say far worse things
than this ; well, this is the only state of mind in which the
Christian can glorify God. It is this very thing which
makes of him SLpilf/rim and a stranger in the midst of the
world, for the world sees nothing but its rights^ whilst he
THE CONVICT DANIEL MANN.
48
cLiiniB none, and in ever ready to do as the elieep Avboso
wool is sheared from his baek and makes no complaint."
" All this seems very plain to me now," he said, " but I
suppose very few in the world see this. As I said to the
night-guard the other night when I was so happy, I have
no doubt the world would lauf^h at me if I told them there
CD
is in man not so much as enough good as to lay the end of
a needle on. Ah! I am afraid very few only will be saved,
for even among the preachers T never heard any one talk
in this way. The idea seems to be to get peo[)le to do
better^ to reform and such no7isense — yes, such nonsense —
for in the sight of what man is to talk to Ilim about doing
is absurd, and it leads to hell."
As he spoke I thought in my own heart, would to God
eiiery pulpit in the land were occupied by such a preacher.
Yes, cold, worldly children of God, if you had such preach-
ing your consciences would burn until you walked worthy
of your calling ! you, vain, good, moral professors of Chris-
tianity, you could not boast long in your outward goodness
but would soon flee from the midst of God's people, unable
to bear the searching power of the truth ! and you, preach-
ers ot the Truth, you would soon cease to be the popular,
applauded, courted men of the world !
Amazed to see how fast the Lord was leading this dear
soul in His ways I felt happier than ever in opening my
Bible to read with liim such portions as seemed to me need-
44
TIIR L/VST TWKXTY-OXE DAYS OF
fill to him. He had entered fully in the forj?ivenes« of sin s^
but he had evidently never yet fulli/ grasped the blessed
truth of ".<fiw put away." I pointed him to l^omana vi. "
11, and to Galatians ii. 20, and endeavored to nhow him tlun
" old man" he now hated so much, and whieh he had learn-
ed to hate from God who hates it far more than any of us
can hate it, that this " old man" or " first adam" or "fleslf*
or "carnal mind" or "sin" — all synonymous tenns— had
been "crucified with Christ," who, in grace, ^'wan made
sin for m«." It was therefore "put away" from God's
fliirht. He calls it "dead" since it was "crucified with
Christ ;" therefore He says to us who believe : " Likew ->
reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, .
alive unto God throuojh Jesus Christ our Lord."
But he seemed unable fully to grasp the <lepth of this
glorious truth, for he kept repeating he wished it was
more dead — he wished he could crucify it more. As he
looked at himself and saw he was only sin^ and could be
nothing else, his only hope, of course, could be in what
Jesus had done; but he wishe<l he could get rid of this
hateful thing.
Aiyain I commended him to God and left him, realising
how helpless man is in imparting the trust to others. He
can only lay it before them ; the Holy Ghost must apply it.
The next morning, Saturday, Dec. 10th, he was the first
object for my thoughts as I awoke, and after asking the
THK coNvnrr daniki. mann.
45
Lord to fijnide ine tluoiigh the (hiy, I foil I could not even
wait for brejikthst, but must go to the prison.
1 found him [)ondering over Galatiansii. 20, and trying
to get the meaning of it. As usual I sat beside him, open-
ed my own Bible, and referred him to Scripture for every
question he asked or which seemed ** meat in due season.'*
I had just pointe<l him to I Corinthians i. 30: ^'HutofFlim
are ye in Christ Jesus, who of (iod is made unto us wis-
dom, and righteousness, and sanctitication, and redenjp-
tion," and was endeavoring to show him the divine per-
fection a man stands in wheti he has Christ wlio is made
unto him of God lolsdom^rif/hteousnesit^sanctijlcatio^i^ and
redeinptloh ^ when he ^uddenly ceased paying attention to
any thing T said, and cxclaijned : " O what a wondei-ful
thing I see ! Christ J fhtmelf' my rigliteousness ! Yes, Christ
Jesus Himself^ not what He has done, but IIU oiun self- —
as He is, there at God's right hand — that's my righteous-
ness ! O, my brother, do you see it V
He had caught tlie blessinl truth, and the state of happi-
ness it threw him into took such hold of me also that I
could scarcely keep quiet, and kept on talking to him ; but
he said : "That's enough — let me enjoy for a while what 1
never dreamed man could enjoy on earth."
The silence we were in for a while was not what ^oine
might imagine, that of a dark, gloomy, felon's cell: it wastlio
silence of intense, divine happiness, and ofd«ep adoration.
4i
TIIK LAST TWENTY-ONE DAYS OP
He broke the silence hy saying: " Why, this sets me
aside, does'nt it? Since Christ Himself \% my righteous-
ness, it is a riglitcousness that is divine, complete, inde-
pendent of me, of my feelings, of my thoughts ; a lighte-
ousness which Satan himself cannot affect, no matter how
much he may try me. Kow I see that before I can perish
Christ Himself must perish, for He is my rufhieousness.
O, my brother, if my ]*ighl(?ousness has not appeared on
the clouds of Heaven before next Wednesday morninor I
shall go to see Him."
'' Now," 1 said, " you can take up Simeon's strain : 'Lord,
now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes
have seen Thy salvation !' The Holy Ghost has taught
you a wondrou^^ truth — the liighest but one of all the doc-
trines of grace — for Christ, now your righteousness through
faith, is (tO(Vs righteousness; therefore 2 Cor. v. 21 says
we (who believe) are 'made the righteousness of God in
Him.'"
" I see," he continued, "how it is that I am a dead man
b<fore God ; T am so entirely vile that there is nothing in
me He can delight in; so He calls me ',s/>/.' He put nin
on Christ at the cross, then looked on Him as if He w^ere
Bin. Christ was crucified, and, of course, I was crucified
with Him: Christ died, and, of course, I am a dead man ;
but Christ is risen, and He is my righteousness. God
looks ou Him in me, and He loves i.4e even as He loves
TTIK COXVICT DANIEL MANN.
47
Christ Himself. Mow aweot those two lines are to me
now :
' I am a |KK»r Binner, and nothing at all, ^ „,
But Jesus Christ is my all in all.'
I see how it is, too, that T ;im a * new creature' in Christ
♦lesus. All that I have ^lone, all that I am, is blotted out
of existence; I am a ncin man. Now, I can go right on
in perfect peace and joy to meet <Tod, for when I arrive
before Ilim I shall point to Jesus at His right hand and
say : ' There, my God, is my righteousness !'' and so saying
he walked the cell, squeezing his folded arms against \m
chest as if he pressed some dear one against his bosom.
After a \vhile he turned to me and said : " How dear to
me are all who, in any place, have Christ for their righte-
.^usness. How I love them in Christ!'*
"Do you believe," I said, "such a thing as this is not
enough to bind jjeoplc together?"
"If this is'nt enough," he replied, " what can be?"
"I only ask you this," I said, " l)ecause I see in you
wliat many are awakiuij: to — that is, that if any thin<^ but
Christ is needed to bind Christians toijether their union is
uot of God, and therefore cannot please Him."
A long while we remained together worship{>ing our
God. In a prayer he made he licsought (Jod to lead
many precious souls to find what lie had just found, and
especially asked it for his poor fellows-criminal. He prayed
48
THE LAST TVVKNTV-ONK DAYS OF
in particular for evcMy one of his family. Of one whom ho
had loved much, he said : '' T^ord, he is a good, u|>right,
affectionate man, hut still he is lost, and he knows it not :
Oh ! do Thou tell him he is lost !"
Praying f»)r me, he said: '^Thou knowest, Lord, how
much T love my dear hrother, and what T would do for him
for Thy sake if! could; hut I know Thou lovest him far
more still than T do, and I commend him to Thee.'' He
spoke evidently face to face with (iod. Then* was no ex-
citement, no familiarity, hut tlie sweet liherty of a submis-
fiive son before a loving Father. Thei'e lay a book of pray-
ers on his table, which some one had s<?nt him, but he had
no need any man should teach him, for he had the anoint-
inu: which teacheth all thinu^s, even the IIolv Ghost. — (1
John ii, 27). ITow wonderful the difference between the
man who performs a religious duty in ""saying his prayers"*
and th(? one who, full of tlie Holy (Jhost, pours out his
need to His Father.
As I left the prison I thought to myself this was the
brightest case I had yet seen, where the great difference
was shown hQXwi^Qwforylveuess of sins Un\x\{\ (Col. i. 14)
and Gorr.i righteons?iess im[)uted (Rom. iii. 22) ; the first
being by the shedding of bloody the latter in the liisen
Christ ; the first giving only a negative salvation : "There
is now therefore no conde/nnation for them that are in
ChriBt Jesus (Rom. viii. 1) ; the latter ii positive righteous-
THE CONVICT DANIKT MANN.
49
lom he
pright,
it not :
(i, liow
for him
nni far
r He
no ex-
<ubmis-
^t" pray-
he had
anoint-
)st.— (1
een tlu
ravors
out his
was the
flerenee
)1. i. U)
the first
e liisen
"There
t are in
rhteous-
^1
noss, " As Christ is so are we in tliis world'' (1 John iv. 17).
]»y the shedding of His blood Christ has washed away all
my sins, future as well as past ; therefore they ean never
be laid to my charge any more, but this ordy makes me a
forgiven crhninal. God wants f(ons and everybody knows
a forofiven criminal is not a son. Tt is our beinsr "made
the ri'jfhteoasness of God in Him" which establishes our
sonship and the knowledge of it gives us the liberty of sons
so beautifully shown in Daniel Mann during this interview.
It is this also which loosens the heart fully from the world
and sets it busv "seckinix those thino^s which are al)Ove,
where Christ sitteth at the right hand of (lod." Surely a
man who knows lie is made the rHjhteoufniess of (rod in
Christ Jesus canni)t but " ioy in God" ineessantlv, whilst a
(travino- sueh as n<> toncr'ue can exiiress tills his bosom and
breaks out in "prayer without ceasing,"' that he may have
grace to walk worthy of such a wojulrous calling, in the
sinrht of God and of men.
O that God's dear children might knowwdiatis theirs in
the ristii Christ ! They w^ould then talk less about their
feelings, their frames of mind, their weakness, their victor-
ies, their faith and works of faith, any thing good or bad
about themselves : the theme and substance of all their talk
would be Christ "made unto us of God, wisdom, right-
eousness, sanctification and redemption."
On Monday, Dec. 12th, I spent again the morning with
60
THE LAST 1 WEXTYOXK DAYS OF
lum. He was in a cletiply quiet state of inind. "The hour
h fast approaching" he said, " but I know in whom I have
believed. God, who says that by the blood of Jesus my
sins are all washed away, and that he remembers them no
more, has so enabled me to believe Him that I have almost
forgotten them too, and am wholly taken up with Christ
my righteousness. Sometimes I wonder if it can be pos-
sible that such grace should be true, but when such thoughts
come 1 open quickly my Testament and reafsure myself
that I am not mistaken. Ah ! my brother, God's Word
alone can satisfv the soul with which God is at work. It
18 only what God says that is worth any thing. Oh ! how
I wish men would see this ! let every thing go but the
Word of God:'
" And how does God say we are his children ?'' I asked.*
"Bylaith in Jesus Christ," he replied, pointing to tlif
verse.
*' And what does God say His children are?" Tasked
again.
He did'nt <^atch my thought so I referred him to Komaiis
viii. 17. "and if children, then heirs, heirs o/ God^ and
joint-heirs with (.'hrist:''
After a little while of new delight from this passage li^
said: "O that my motherland mv brothers and sisters,
and every body might see the things that I see !"
"You are just like me," I said; "as I read and re-rou<l
THE CO JS VICT DANIEL MANN.
61
he liour
1 1 have
esus my
them no
e almost
\ Christ
be pos-
houiifhts
? myself
's Word
ork." ft
h ! how
but tlii'
I asked,*
[T to tilt'
r asked
Romans
odj and
!«sai;e he
sisters,
I re-read
the Word, and discover new glories in it, I burn for the
time of preaching to come to tell them to others."
In a little while the Spirit of God led us to the subject
of the resurrection from the dead. The hfteenth of first
Corinthians and the fourth of first Thessalonians were the
chief Scripture we used.
" You know," I said, " what first-fruU means. Well,
there it says Christ is the first-fruit of all the brethren.
Their turn will be ' when He cornea.'* The spirits of believ-
ers, washed in His blood, are at rest in God's bosom the
moment they leave the body, as it says in 2 Cor. v. 8 : * ab-
sent from tlie body, present with the Lord.' There they
wait for their mortal bodies to be raised immortal as we
wait here to have them ch.an(jed. And all this, the Scrip-
ture declares, will take place ' at His coining.^ At that
grand hour, the cro>vning of all our waiting, the bodies of
the dead saints shall all be brought to rise again, only now
without siii ; and the bodies of all of us, His living saints,
shall be changed 'in the twinkling of an eye,' and ' caught
up together vnth them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air P This is tha first resurrection, also called * the resur-
rection oi the just^ which may occur to-day, while we are
here talking together, at any moment of the day or the
night. The world wull very likely know nothing about it,
except as the few who are waiting for Him Avill be found
missing here and there. It will go on just the same with
I
52
THE LAST TWENTV-ONE DAYS OF
its religious performances and boasted progress for a very
little while until He, with power and great glory, appears
on the clouds of heaven with the myriads of His glorified
saints to execute judgment on it. As it ha])pened to So-
dom, so to the world then. Lot was first taken out, and
Sodom liad not lonij to rest after. It is then * the kinj^s of
the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the
chief captains, and tlie mighty men, and every bondman,
and every freeman, hide thcn)^^eIvt^« in tlie dens and in the
rocks of the mountains, and say to th*^ iiountains and
rocks, Fall on us and hide us from tlie uioe of Him that
sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb ;
for the great day of His wrath is come ; and who shall be
able to stand T
Those who are not saved belon<jr to another resurrection
which occurs latei*, as you may see in the twentieth of
Revelation. And thus, if the Lord does not come before
you die, you will be waiting for His coming, and, of course,
for the resurrection, in God's bosom, whilst I will be wait-
ing down here, endeavoring to lead others in the same
precious things yon now see, and often getting for reward
the sneers of those men described in 2 Peter iii. 3, 4 :
t T-
Knowing this first, that there shall conic in the last days
scoffers^ walking after their own lusts, and saying. Where
is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell
asleep, all things continue as fiom the beginning of thi*
THE CO.VVICT DANIEL MANN.
53
I
creation.' You will be at rest, able now to adore Ilini
without distraction of any kind, whilst I will be at war,
constantly struggling against every thing which would rob
me of an adoring spirit, defending the blessed truth which
has made us free, and praying for grace to be ' stedfast,
unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,
knowing^ our labor is not in vain in the Lord.^
*' How sweet, how sweet, all this is I" he exclaimed. '' It
is wonderful how the Word sets a man clear on every
thinor.''
.... . . /
'^ Yes," I said, *' if he is submissive to it.''
"But tell me," he said, "how is this that some people
speak of death as if that was the same thing as the TA>rd's
coming ? for I see the Scri[)ture shows them to be very
different things." ....
' " They who do this," I re[)lied, " show either \\\v\v unln'-
lief or their ignorance. With some T am afraid it is even
worse. Thev know the Word is true, and t)ie\ know it
teaches that, but thev an- nicelv fixed in this world, or
they wjint to do some ixreat thiuir in it, therefore tliev hate
the idea of Christ's coming, because that would interfcn;
with their plans. They prefer the idea of death bectause
that ijjives them at least the chance of so manv years. Mv
own wicked heart went throuirh it all before I was willing
to bow to the Word^ so I know all this. But now, sub-
missive to the Word, all is clear and sinn)le as day ; the
54
THE LAST TWENTY-ONK iMY8 OF
heavy, oppreesivo feeling which follows this * \V7iat^a to
come hereafter f is gone, and ' we all, with open face^
beholdin^^ as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed
into the same image from ^^^'^y to.glury, as by the Spirit
of the Lord; "
On Tuesday morning, December l;ith, his countenance
was calm as usual. He seemed even more free than before
from the strangled sobs which he could not restrain through
all our former interviews. "I am living," he said, *'iu
the first four verses of Colossians iii., and in the second of
Ephesians.'*
" You are living in pastures wliich sheep only know," I
said, " and they are sweet."
" Yes, very, very sweet," he replied. " They are so sweet
that I have nothing whatever to wish for for myself save
that my Father may give me grace and strength to deport
myself in every thing as it becomes a poor sinner saved by
grace. Since 1 can glorify God in nothing else now, may 1
glorify Him in the full peace and confidence which become
one whose righteousness is Christ."
" God may glorify Himself through you more than in
this which you desire," I said : " As soon as I saw the
Holy Ghost had opened your eyes to see the grace of God.,
a voice kept repeating in my ears. Here is an instrument
by which God will display what He is ; so I have carefully
and as accurately as possible penned the substance of ev-
THE CONVICT nANIKT. MAXN.
55
cry one of our interviews, wliich I intend to publisli as ftoou
as T can, in the fnll af»sarance the Lord will use it for TTin
glory in the building up of Hit* Church. Have you no ob-
jection to this?"
" May the Spirit of Our (rod go with it," he answered,
" O may he use it for the opening of many, many eyes,
and the joy of many, many hearts I I will now pray for
this to my end, that (^od may glorify Himself by it."
*' There is something else yet," 1 said, " in which God
may be glorified. Indeed it is the greatest thing: Turn to
the seventeenth of Luke." ^-
We read from verse 11 to verse 19, and I said : *' There
are, in figure, ten sinners saved by grace, through faith ;
but Jesus Himself declares o7di/ one of them, and he is a
poor cast-out like you — a Samaritan — has glorified God.
And the wav in which he i^ave ejlorv to God was bv re-
turninc; and fallini; at his Lord's feet in heart-felt adora-
tion. Ah! this is something we are all too apt to forget.
Our idea is that the only way to glorify God is by (hvin^j
some great thing, whilst (lod's greatest delight is in see-
ing the saved sinner fall down on his face at His feet, f///'-
ing lUm thirnks! Mary is another such case. She cares
more for her dear Lord than for all the j)oor in the land.
Lookei-s-on, even disciples, find fault with ''this iraste\' but
the Lord orders it to be published ' wheresoever this Gos-
pel is preached in the whole world.' So the alabaster boxes
5G
THE LAST TAVKNTY-ONE DAYS OF
of true wornliip yon may pour on JesuR to your end may
be far mor^ to the glory of God than the three hundred
pence of money."
I was kindly allowed what we both wished much : to
spend the last night together, as the hour for the execu-
tion was at eight o'clock in the morning, so 1 arranged to
return in the evening.
♦ ♦ * 41 <|i f ♦
No words can describe the strange, sweet hours of that
night. Its sweetness, deepened by its sadness, cannot be
told. It was my share of God's grace displayed in him.
It was my harvest for my three weeks' teaching. It is
another oasis in the wilderness I have been traveling in
these four years. I will be glad when it ends, but until
then this is sweet. It was no more teachinjj and learninir
as before. We were feasting together on what he had
learned during the past three weeks. We to or s hip2^ecl onr
God ; we adored our Lord Jesus. There was no noise, no
excitement. Ours was a quiet cell that night, but O the
solemnity of it I Jesus was there.
Ah ! my breiaren, do you know what it is to worship
God ? do you know what it is to possess eternal life ? — to
know that that life is in Jesus, yea, is Jesus Himself who
sits at God's right hand, now in the very same body in which
He bare our sins on the tree ? Do you know what it is to
ignore creed, name and title? to know ofily Christ, and
(3 may
ft'
indred
3b : to
execu-
ted to
jf that
not be
1 liiiu.
It is
ing in
I until
irning
e had
ed our
ise, no
O the
orship
??— to
If who
which
t is to
^t, and
THK COXVTCT PAXIEL MA?JX.
61
own and love one another o)ilj/ in ITltn f Do yon know
what it is to " keep His word" and h4 ojo ej^ery thmtj eUe ?
To " not deny His ^iarnc" and deny every other name'/
Then you know what Jesus meant when He said : *'Thi8
is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have
loved yoiC'^ (John xv. 12) and you may form some idea of
what we both enjoyed that nijjjlit. I wept sore many a
time at the thought that that man whom I now loved as
my own soul was about to be torn away from me in such
a violent manner, but he would say, as he would draw mo
up against him : " Don't weep, brother; you know I am a
son of God, redeemed by the blood of Jesus." Hut this,
while it forbade all bitterness, oidv grieved me the more
for that was the very ground an<l bond of my love to him.
His favorite expression through the whole night was: *' a
son of God, a part, yes, a very [>art of Thee, Lord Jesus I
O why should I not rejoiee ?"
He never remained long without returning to his Testa-
ment which lay open on the table with many leaves turned
and many portions underlined. It was not to seek any
thing new but to read and reread the passages which re-
ferred most clearly to the grace of God. The special por-
tions he used were the 20th verse of Galatians ii., the fifth,
sixth and eighth of Romans ; the second of Ephesians ; the
first 4 verses of Colosians iii. and the first 4 of John xiv.
An expression in the passage of Gal. ii, especially filled
68
THE LAST TWENTY-ONE DAYS OF
him: " and tlie life which I now live in the flesh, Hive by
the faith of th( son of God^ who loved me, and gave Him-
self for me." — **It is nothing of mine" he would say; "it
is all of (Jod. Xot even my faith, but the faith of the son
of God. 1 am a man in Christ, in the Son of God ; one
spirit with Him ; flesh of His flesh, bone of His bono ; a
very part of Him, and this for all eternity because I believe.
0 Jesus, ./(^.s'l^s" he would often exclaim, " how I love Thee \
in a few hours I'll feast on Thee, 0 Lord Jesus, to my heart's
content. Then I will be tilled. l>ut O, my Father, until
then give me to remember that 1 walk by faith, not by
sit/Jit ; by sinjple faith in what Thou hast written in Thy
Blessed Book."
Often we prayed. He never asked any thing for himself,
save that he might have strength from the Lord to act io
the last moment as it becoiiies one who has all things in
Christ. — " Thou knowest, my Father," lie would say, " how
natural it is to the flesh to shriidv from death, and especi-
ally a death like this ; but Jesus has borne my sins In His
own body on the tree ; He is risen ; He sits at Thy right
hand, and He is i!iy lif\ I, therefore. Thou knowest it, my
Father, have no fear of any kind coiux'rning Eternity —
there is no stinir in death for me. But the world will be
lookinjx at me. Lord, and I would sliame Tliee and Thv
Word, wQre I to show weakness. Help me in that hour!"
The burtlien of his prayers was chiefly for all his '" breth-
THE CONVICT nANlEI. MANN.
59
)(»W
)(H'i-
His
g-ht
inv
y
be
riiv
ii-r
cth-
ron in Clirist Jesus." lie wouUl tell the Lord what a
wicked world they were in and how much tliey ne<»ded Jlis
help to go through it to His glory. lie also ])esought the
Lord much for all his family, especially for his mother and
a grown-u{) sister, lie prayed much that God would stir
up the j)eo])le every where to hear the Truth as it is in
Jesus, lie asked often that the })ul>lication of our inter-
views mitjjht be blessed to everv one who would read it,
C7 ft /
and upon my tellirig him of a special work for the Lord in
the States which weighed somewhat on my mind, he, sev-
eral times before mornirig, besought the Lord for it.
At one time !is he lay resting on the bench, his coat
rolled up un'lcr his head for a ])illo\v, his hai)j)iness became
so intense that he said to me: '* I don't l)elieve I can live
till mornino:.'" His eves closed, his hands lifted towai'd
heaven, as lie lay on his back, he only gave sign of life by
re])eating in a low voice, '' Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus, one
with Thee. I long for Thee, Lord Jesus.'*' Soon he readi-
ed for my hands, which he ])Ut on his forehead under his
own, and in this way he slept a little while. Wlien he
awoke he asked what time it was. "Just three,-' I said.
" Five hours more, my Hlessed Jesus, and I shall b:i
with Thee," he said. *' O how sweet that is ! I never knew
what real, unbroken, unclouded ha])piness is even until
last Saturday when I saw Christ in Heaven as my righte-
ousness. 1 knew y\'h'di 2>tace is from that morning when 1
- *
*,
60
THE LAST TWEXTY-ONE DAYS OK
8aw the finislic'd work of ( ■hrisl for my Bulvation ; but since
I have known Christ Illnisel/ as my righteousness I know
what joj/ means. Several gentlemen called in yesterday,
and seemed to pity me in my condition ; but Oh ! how I do
wish they mij^ht be as I am, save the hano^ins:."
Aojain he said : " mornin<j: is comini; and I wish to for<ret
nothing. This Testament was given me l)y Mr. G. and I
leave it for him to carry to my mother. It is the best jrift
I ever had. May my dear mother find in it what I found.
This i)ackaiire of tracts I leave for you to carry to my
mother. It will be a kindness to me if vou visit her as
often as you can. Tell her I am at home, a sinner saved
by grace, through fiiith. I have made a dying request she
may be released, for she is not guilty, and is there through
tny fault alone. I trust my Father will move the heart of
the Governor to do so ; but tell her that peace with God
makes of a prison a palace. She must not think it is easier
to believe outsider a prison than inside. Christ has done it
all, and it is Mievitif/ that makes every thing ours. If
she Avill onlj/ hclieve shd will meet me again when Jesus
comes.
''Telltny sister she is lost, as lost as I am, and must
therefore be saved in the sauu» way in wliich i am saved.
Pleiise write to her, and tell her I never knew what
l»a|)})iness is till I saw the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus. Tell her she may (hutk she is haj)py in the pleas-
1
THE LAST TWENTY-ONiC DAYS OF
61
<
ures of the world, but I know they are death, eternal
woe, at the end.
*' When you have publislied our inters iews, send a copy
to each of my relatives whose address you have.
" Tell every body that I recognise no church but the
C'uirch of God, the Body of Christ, of which, through
faith in Jesus Christ, I am a happy, hapf)y member. I love,
yes, I dearly love all v hose confidence is where mine is,
and who love my Blessed Jesus. Moreover, I aftectionate-
ly and solemnly warn them who seem to place much confi-
dence in the Church or in the Ordinances. I have received
several books and other matters, since I am here, which
talk in that way ; but I am sure there is nothing so dan-
gerous because it hides Christ in Avhom alone is salvation,
and grace, and strength. These things, I know, are very
good in their |)l:vce, but I feel sure many are ])utting them
before Christ; for if they saw in Christ what I see, they
w^ould set Iliiu up so high that the other things would not
be noticed much.
" Insist that forgiveness of sins is not when a man dies.
It is for ever too late then ; but it is when he helkves^ be-
cause the debt was all paid over KSOO years ago.
" Tell the world that it is lost, but that (xod sent Mis Son
to save it ; that the work for our salvation is all done since
Jesus died. Oh! that they would o/^/y /m^^/c^^^/ If they
only could see in Jesus what I see, they could not stay
62
TIIK I. AST TWENTY-ONE DAYS OF
away another inoment. Indeed it is not left for man to
choose, for when he sees Christ he earmot refuse ; lie must
<:oine, and he must love."
He called the night-^jfuard and said : *^ Oh ! Air. li., 1 love
you : I do love you so much that 1 wish I could see you
restinc: in Christ before' I die."
*^ I have determined now to try to be a Christian," an-
swered the ijfuard.
'"' O no ! that will not do ! that will not do I" he replied.
"God wants none of your dtterminatio7i. It is His Son,
Eternal Life, a finished redemption, JL offers you. Will
vou not have it? Look at me. Three hours more and I
shall hang, and yet lam the happiest man living. What
do yow think of that? Ts'nt there reality in Christ ? Is'nt
it a reality worth having ? Look at that man ! (he pointed
to me). The love of Christ has enabled him to leave the
world and be happy in such a place as this. Is'iit there
reality in Christ?"
Thus he pleaded, and after a while he said to me, " Let
us pray for Mr. R. May be the Lord will show him what
we see."
Often he would take both my hands in his, stoop a little
so as to draw his face close to mine, and then would sav :
" We are two sons of God, two members of the body of
Christ, two brothers in Him ; is'nt that delightful ?" — and
so saying he would look in my eyes until T was compelled
THE OONVICT DA .VIE L MANN^.
6$
V :
of
id
'd
i
to drop my eyelids. Oh ! that face ! how dear to nie ! it
Btill lives I
At seven oVlock he said, " Now, Lord, one more glance
at Thy Word, then I will tie up the Book for my dear mo-
ther, and I go to Thee."
After he had arranged every thing on the tahle, lie said
to me: " Now 8atan is assailini? me."
I felt afraid of this, for I well knew that Satan eould see
he would soon hv out of his reach, so I could but silently
pray for him. In about four or live minutes he said : '* ft
is all over. I airi one with Christ, and Christ is one with
God. God is my Mft/ier^ and Satan is at my feet."
As the noise of fe(^t and voices was beijcinniniic to be heard
all around, lie said : ''Soon we shall l)e surrouixled by peo-
ple, so let me bid you good-liy as i wish to;" and so say-
ing he took me in his arms jis a chihl, kisse<l me over and
over again, i\\vu let u\v go, and said: '' Vou have taught
mt; the Tiuth of God, and lie has plucked me as a brand
from the burning to ))«.'iie\e it. May (to<1 bless you and
ev(u*y thing you do. May He make you strong to j)reach
the same things to many more till Jesus comes."
VVliih^ he spoke the cell had been opened, and we were
asked to u'o into another cell, where several were assetubled
with the other criminal.
A few minutes before eiiiht the arms of both were tied
to asceml to the gallows. While ho was being tied a
64
THK J.A8T TWKNTY-ONE DAYS, KTC.
fihiver peemed to pass ovcrliim. Our eyes met, and again
his smiling face was turned up toward Heaven.
The procession moved on, but as he was a little behind
I held him by the sleeve till all but the Turnkey had gone
out, and I kissed him for the last time.
A few minutes after he was *'out of the body, present
with the Lord," and 1 returned lionie with my sorrow and
my joy.
PAUL J. LOIZEAUX.
Kingston, Canada,
December, 1870.
.i
^tiin
lind
sent
and
r
-ft: .r.?.;. .y. ,rc;rn-::.;;..-~;;-.;,r:-r:r".n;gr»wastf..STg.— .rrs:;
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